The Portland daily press., 1887-09-27
FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH.
What the State Board Did at Its
Meeting Yesterday.
Nearly Every Town In Maine Ready
to Prevent Disease.
Cholera, Water Analysis and the
New Sanitary Inspector"
Especial to the Press ]

Especial to the Press.l
AUGUSTA. Sept 26.-The State Board of
Health met in regular quarterly session at
their office today, F. Il. Gerrish, o. A. Horr,
J. G. Webster and Lewis Barker of the
board being in attendance. 1t was a very
busy meeting and much important business
was transacted. The secretary reported con-
cerning the case of small pox at Greenville.
The model bylaws for the local boards of
health were presented by the secretary.
They were presented to each justice of the
supreme Court for suggestions, and after
these were received the laws were printed
and forwarded to the local boards.
AT the last meeting Messrs. Webster,
Young and Jordan were appointed COM
mittee to prepare a set of plumbing and
house draining regulations for the use of
larger tewns in the State The committee
have attended to their duty and the rules
sent out through the medium of the Sanitary
Inspector
The committee appointed to take into con-
sidefation the publication of a sanitary Jour
nal reported. After giving the matter care
tul consideration and estimating that it
could be made nearly, if not quite self-sup-
porting, it was decided to publish the jour
nat under the name of the Sanitary Inspec-
tor" 1t publication so far has been very
successful, and the board expressed them
selves as well satisfied
The fact that cholera existed on shipboard
In New York harbor having been reported
through the press, the matter was taken into
consideration, especially in regard to the
possible or probable danger to this country
and our State in particular. Having conf
dence in the sanity officers of New York,
the board was of the opinion that the dan
ger of the extension Of the infection hey ond
its present limits is not great At the same
time 1t was thought, on account of the large
quantity OF luggage on the steamer there
would be some possibility of the infection
being conveyed to other ports through in
fected clothing. The matter was left with
secretary Young to take such action as the
circumstances might require.
At the last meeting of the board there
were "a towns from which no report had
been received, either from the municipal
officers or the local board, that board of
health had been appointed and there were e5
towns from which formal report had no.
been received from the local board At the
present time there are only 13 towns from
which no report has been received and 80 in
which the local board has not reported an
organization to the State Board. These
towns are all small excepting two large viii
iages There are, therefore, ALB towns which
have duly organized local boards of
health which are in communication and CO.
operation with the State Board. The
promptness with which they have reported
TO the State Board, the cases of Contagious
diseases was commended upon with much
satisfaction of the members of the State
Board. A few cases have been brought to
the notice of the secretary where physicians
failed to report cases of contagious diseases
to the local boards, but in nearly all the
towns they very promptly sent in their noti-
A nuisance was recently reported from the
t6wn OF Washburn that arose from the
waste of the pulp factory discharged into
the stream at the village. The secretary has
teen IN correspondence with the local board
In regard to the matter, and the board and
officers have taken legal counsel.
me secretary was authorized to purchase
4 considerable number of glass stoppered
bottles to provide to local boards or other
,aFilss 81 tSs yaps gifaRs F8 PR klg g tie at ab
'lication paying the expressage both ways.
DIR. Gerrish was chosen as delegate to at |
end the meeting of the Public Health Asso- |
,iation of Memphis in November.
DR.. Young, the efficient secretary of the |
board, has been doing large amount of |
work the present season, and has hardly |
found moment OF leisure time.